Releasable buoy



June 6, 1933.

B. GILBRIDE RELEASABLE BUOY Filed May 13. 1952 2 Sheets$heet 1 Inventor Bern an] 617151416 /1 Home y Patented June 6, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BERNARD GIUBRIDE, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK RELEAMIBLE BUOY Application filed Kay 13,

to provide means whereby the location of a.

submerged vessel may be quickly and accurately found and communication established with the crew of the submerged vessel, whereby to increase the safety of submerging operations and to aiford means whereby rescue may be brought expeditiously and et'ficiently .to vessels which are submerged and unable to rise to the surfaceof the water.

Other objects and advantages of my mvention will be apparent from a reading of the following description of the drawings, wherein for purposes of illustration I have shown a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a general elevational sectional view of a submersible vessel, indicating an adaptation of the invention thereto.

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view of the electrical elements and connections employed.

Figure 3 is a sectional elevational view of the releasable buoy.

Fi ure 4 is a sectional view through the reel or accommodating the cable connections between the buoy and the submerged vessel.

Referring in detail to the drawings, where in like numerals refer to like parts throughout the same, the nuineral'5 generally designates a submersible vessel having the conning tower 6 or other suitable formation for containing an auxiliary battery 7, an electrically operated lock generally designated 8 and a changeover relay 9. Preferably on the forward part of the conning tower 6 there is located a housing 10 which encloses the cable reel 11 which is adapted to wind the buoy cable 12. The roof of the housing 10 is adapted to receive thereon the releasable buoy 13. suitable confining member 14 may be provided on the roof of the housing for confining the buoy thereon. A plurality of switch members'15 may be distributed at strategical points within the vessel so as to be readily accessible to any of the members of the crew in case of accident 1932. Serial No. 611,213.

or emergency. The closing of one of the. switches 15 will cause energization of the electrical lock releasing mechanism 8 for re leasing the buoy 15 which because of its buoyancy will then rise to the surface of the water,

unreeling the cable 12 as it rises.

Reference to Figure 3 will disclose the constructlon of the buoy 13 which may comprise the generally frustro-conical body portion 16 which is closed at its upper and lower end. 00

The upper end closure indicated at 17 is flanged as indicated at 18 and upon this is imposed a spherical segmental hollow cap 19 which is secured thereto by means of bolts 20. Within the compartment 21 thus formed between the member 19 and the closure 17 may be arranged telephone apparatus 22 or. other suitable communication means which is connected by means of the conduits 23 extended through the bottom of the body por- 7 tion 16 and either separately from or incor-' porated in the cable 12. In Figure 3 the telephone or the like conduit 23 is shown at 24 as carried by the cable 12. The lower end of the body portion 16 is provided with a cylindrical formation 25 from which depends a 100 26 which is adapted to be engaged by the e ectro-magnetic locking means, for retaining the buoy against rising from its position on the submerged vessel.

As seen in Figure 4 the reel 11 may have its shaft 27 hollow so as to accommodate the conductors 24 therein. and one end of the shaft 27 may be provided with contact rings 28 with which conductors 29 are in contact for completing a circuit to one or more telephones or other electrical communication means 30 which may be located in places as desired on the vessel. By this arrangement communication with persons on the surface of the water may be established by telephone or other communication means. By the provision of my invention installed on vessels,

- the tragedies which have become frequent of late years in connection with the operation of fortunate crew. who perished mainlv because the rescuing parties were unable to find their locations.

The electro-magnetically operated flock comprises the electro-magnets 31, the swingable armature 32 normally drawn away from with the magnets by a spring 33 connected between it and the conning tower or other suitable support. Slidable in a guide bracket 34 is the bolt 35 having a reduced end portion 36 projected through a packing box 37 in the side of the conning tower into position to engage the upper end portion of the supporting bracket 38 which is attached to the outside of the wall of the conning tower and upon which the loop 26 of the buoy is engaged, whereby to prevent the loop from coming off of the bracket 38. Energization of the electro-magnets 31 will cause the armature 32 to move toward the magnets with a.

consequent withdrawing action of the bolt 35 which will be thereby disengaged from the bracket 38 so that the buoyancy of the buoy may carry the buoy free from the bracket 38 and to the surface of the water. The reelll may be provided with a suitable supporting bracket 39 and a guide member 40 for insuring free action of the cable 12. It is my definite purpose to provide that the device of the invention be energized not from the main batteries of the vessel, which are usually disabled in an emergency, but to energize the same from an auxiliary battery 7 which is adapted to be cut into the lock releasing circuit by means of a changeover relay 9 as soon as one of the switches 15 within the vessel has been closed. The auxiliary battery will usually be located upon the upper side of the vessel in some point convenient for connection purposes and so located and arranged and housed as .not to be readily put out of order. Thus, though the main batteries of the vessel be disabled, the specially protected emergency auxiliary battery 7 will be independently available for emergencies for supplying the necessary energy for operating the device and the telephone or other communication circuits, betweenthe released buoy and the submerged vessel.

Reference to Figure 2 will disclose a suggested manner of connecting the various elements. The numerals used heretofore are also employed to designate the elements of this illustration, and the additional designating letter M indicates the main batteries of the vessel from which the changeover is made automatically through the agency of the changeover relay 9 to the auxiliary battery 7.

Though I have shown and described herein a preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be definitely understood that I do not desire to limit the application of the invention thereto, but any change or changes may be made in material and structure and arrangement of parts coming within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the subjoined claims.

What is claimed is 1. In a submersible vessel having a watering and a watertight compartment secured to the hull, a buoy supported on the compartment, a reel within the compartment, a cable member on the reel and traversing the compartment and connected to the buoy, a projection on the casing on which a portion of the buoy is adapted to be releasably held, a lock member movably mounted through the wall of the casing for engagement with the projection for releasably holding the buoy on the projection.

2. In a submersible vessel having a watertight hull, a releasable buoy structure located on the exterior of the hull so as not to occupy any portion of the interior of the hull, said buoy structure comprising a watertight casing and a watertight compartment, secured to the hull, a buoy supported on the compartment, a reel within the compartment, a cable member on the reel and traversing the compartment and connected to the buoy, a projection on the casing on which a portion of the buoy is adapted to be releasably held, a lock member movably mounted through the wall of the casing for engagement with the projection for releasably holding the buoy on the projection, a removable bulkhead on the buoy, communication means carried by the buoy adapted to be exposed for use by removing the bulkhead, conduit means extending from the communication means through the cable member to the vessel.

3. In a submersible vessel having a watertight hull, a releasable buoy structure located on the exterior of the hull so as not to occupy any portion of the interior of the hull, said buoy structurecomprising a watertight casing and a watertight compartment secured to the hull, a buoy supported on the compartment, a reel within the compartment, a cable member on the reel and traversing the compartment and connected to the buoy, a projection on the casing on which a portion of the buoy is adapted to be releasably held, a

lock member movably' mounted through the wall of the casing for engagement with the projection for releasably holding the buoy on the projection, and operating mechanism in the casing for operating the lock member.

4. In a submersible vessel having a watertight hull, a releasable buoy structure located on the exterior of the hull so as not to occupy any portion of the interior of the hull, said buoy structure comprising a watertight casing and a watertight compartment secured to the hull, a buoy supported on the compartment, 9. reel within the compartment, a cable member on the reel and traversing the compartment and connected to the buoy, a pro jection on the casing'on which a portion of the buoy is adapted to be releasably held, a lock member movably mounted through the wall of the casing for engagement with the projection for releasably holding the buoy on the projection, operating mechanism in the casing for operating the lock member, said operating mechanism comprising a circuit, electro-magnetic means, and an independent source of electrical energy in the circuit, said circuit being adapted to be closed for operating the operating mechanism by circuit closing means provided in the interior of the hull.

5. In a submersible vessel having a watertight hull, a releasable buoy structure located on the exterior of the hull so as not to occupy any portion of the interior of the hull, said buoy structure comprising a Watertight casing and a Watertight compartment secured to the hull, a buoy supported on the compartment, a reel within the compartment, a cable A member on the reel and traversing the compartment and connected to the buoy, a projection on the casing on which a portion of the buoy is adapted to be releasably held, a lock member movably mounted through the wall of the casing for engagement with the projec- 80 tion for releasably holding the buoy on the projection, operating mechanism in the casing for operating the lock member, said operating mechanism comprising a circuit, electro-magnetic means, an independent source of electrical energy in the circuit, said circuit being adapted to be closed for operating the operating mechanism by circuit closing means provided in the interior of the hull, said circuit closing means in the hull comprising an existent signal circuit comprising a plurality of conveniently located stations each containing-circuit closers, a main source of electrical energy within the hull and operatively connected to the signal circuit, so as to operate when any of the circuit closers is operated, connection means between the change over relay and the circuit of the buoy lock operating mechanism whereby upon closing of any of the circuit closers Within the hull the 50 buoy will be released.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature.

. BERNARD GILBRIDE. 

